Parents should delay giving children personal smartphones until after age 12

The clinicians' open letter warned that many UK children spend longer on classroom screens than recommended for an entire 24-hour period.

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More than 150 UK clinicians sent an open letter to Education Secretary Lucy Powell and Health Secretary Yvette Cooper warning that classroom screen time harms children's physical and developmental health.

552c7ae14Claim

An analysis cited in the clinicians' open letter indicates nearly one million children in England use screens in most school lessons, while 2.6 million use devices daily.

552c7ae14Claim

A legal mobile phone ban in English schools took effect in June 2026, though devices used specifically for educational purposes remain excluded from the restrictions.

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Signatories of the open letter to UK ministers include GPs, paediatricians, audiologists, speech therapists, and Health Professionals for Safer Screens founder Dr. Becky Foljambe.

552c7ae14Claim

A Department for Education spokesperson stated the UK government is developing screen-time guidance for children aged five to 18 and consulting on artificial intelligence and edtech safety.

552c7ae14Claim

Classroom screen use does more harm than good to children's health

552c7ae14Claim

The clinicians' letter warned that education technology devices used in schools face no health safety checks equivalent to those required for drugs, food products, or toys.

552c7ae14Claim

SafeScreens campaign representative Jane Rowland stated that using unmonitored education technology devices in schools every day gambles with the health and safety of millions of children.

552c7ae14Claim

UK clinicians stated that school digital devices and platforms have never undergone systematic, child-focused testing for cumulative impacts on children's eyes, ears, or speech.

552c7ae14Claim

Health Professionals for Safer Screens founder Dr. Becky Foljambe stated that preventing parents from opting out of school screen use risks children not thriving in education.

552c7ae14Claim

UK clinicians warned in their open letter that children with special educational needs are disproportionately directed toward screen-based learning in schools.

552c7ae14Claim

Association of School and College Leaders general secretary Pepe Di'Iasio stated education technology should form only part of learning strategies alongside classroom discussion, PE, and break times.

552c7ae14Claim

Clinicians stated in their letter that classroom use of tablets, laptops, and interactive whiteboards expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic and was never rolled back.

552c7ae14Claim

In their open letter, clinicians stated that children's language acquisition depends on face-to-face interaction that digital screens cannot replicate.

552c7ae14Claim

Outro plans to use its $7 million in capital to expand its network of deprescribing clinicians and develop artificial intelligence clinical decision support tools.

552c7ae14Claim

Parents should delay giving children personal smartphones until after age 12

Childhood trauma leads people to develop psychosis

More young people need to get their brain scanned

Canada should exclude mental illness as a sole condition for medically assisted dying

The clinicians' open letter warned that many UK children spend longer on classroom screens than recommended for an entire 24-hour period.

More than 150 UK clinicians sent an open letter to Education Secretary Lucy Powell and Health Secretary Yvette Cooper warning that classroom screen time harms children's physical and developmental health.

An analysis cited in the clinicians' open letter indicates nearly one million children in England use screens in most school lessons, while 2.6 million use devices daily.

A legal mobile phone ban in English schools took effect in June 2026, though devices used specifically for educational purposes remain excluded from the restrictions.

Signatories of the open letter to UK ministers include GPs, paediatricians, audiologists, speech therapists, and Health Professionals for Safer Screens founder Dr. Becky Foljambe.

A Department for Education spokesperson stated the UK government is developing screen-time guidance for children aged five to 18 and consulting on artificial intelligence and edtech safety.

Classroom screen use does more harm than good to children's health

The clinicians' letter warned that education technology devices used in schools face no health safety checks equivalent to those required for drugs, food products, or toys.

SafeScreens campaign representative Jane Rowland stated that using unmonitored education technology devices in schools every day gambles with the health and safety of millions of children.

UK clinicians stated that school digital devices and platforms have never undergone systematic, child-focused testing for cumulative impacts on children's eyes, ears, or speech.

Health Professionals for Safer Screens founder Dr. Becky Foljambe stated that preventing parents from opting out of school screen use risks children not thriving in education.

UK clinicians warned in their open letter that children with special educational needs are disproportionately directed toward screen-based learning in schools.

Association of School and College Leaders general secretary Pepe Di'Iasio stated education technology should form only part of learning strategies alongside classroom discussion, PE, and break times.

Clinicians stated in their letter that classroom use of tablets, laptops, and interactive whiteboards expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic and was never rolled back.

In their open letter, clinicians stated that children's language acquisition depends on face-to-face interaction that digital screens cannot replicate.

Outro plans to use its $7 million in capital to expand its network of deprescribing clinicians and develop artificial intelligence clinical decision support tools.

Approximately one in six Americans take an antidepressant medication, and average duration of use has surpassed five years.